Botswana Safari!
Entrusting Sue Picken & Sapphire Travel with my Safari Adventure in Botswana was one of the best travel decisions I have ever made! The Botswana Safari trip Sue planned for me and my buddy was incredible and certainly a trip of a lifetime. The lodges, service, food, activities, travel logistics, itinerary/travel apps, and accessibility to Sue for any need was awesome
– Eric M.
River Cruising on the Danube!
Thanks so much for once again being my travel agent and putting up with all of my questions! Stand-outs for me were the following:
I loved the size of the ship and the quality of the crew – they were so friendly, kind, helpful and knowledgeable. Loved the double balcony our suite had!
I found so much beauty in all of the cities we visited! I loved all of the excursions and thought they were all run very smoothly and timely. Leaving Budapest at night was magnificent and a view I will never forget. My two faves were the same as my sister’s – the bike ride through Austria along vineyards and quaint towns, as well as Cesky. We hadn’t planned to go to Cesky but thanks to the flexibility AmaWaterways gives their guests to change excursions at the last minute, and the recommendation from our sweet Cruise Manager, we decided to go and it was the best decision! Vienna was also an amazing day full of shopping and beautiful architecture. The cherry on top was the yearly fireworks we were lucky to see in Vilshofen – they were unreal!
– Mariela C.
Southern Africa Safari Multi-Gen Trip!
Thanks for all you did to make our family vacation go off without a hitch. It was truly a trip of a lifetime.
Thanks,
- Vern and Kelly Moore
50th Anniversary Bucket List Trip!
Sue planned a 50th anniversary trip of a lifetime for us. After explaining our basic ideas she provided a perfect itinerary that checked every block. Her responsiveness before, during and after the trip was spot on. Our experiences for the trip far exceeded our expectations. During 14 days of travel there was not one single hiccup in the experience. Sue dotted every “I” and crossed every “t” to make our trip a carefree adventure. The itinerary app she provided was invaluable. Sue has our highest recommendation as the ideal travel agent!
– Jan & Daryl T.
Costa Rica Grad Trip!
Amazing time … so relaxing … fun excursions … seamless experience! We want to go back again! Love Costa Rica!
– Mirka, AJ, Alicia, Carson
Sailing Croatia
“Such a fun time – your arrangements were amazing! Such a memorable time! Seamless! Really appreciate your arrangements and the towels were a hit”
– Mandi Frost
Peru: Inca Trail
“We loved the Inca Trail … the area is well preserved and pristine. Our guide was incredible, knowlegdeable, humorous and extremely professional. He discreetly kept an eye on everyone. We also had an assistant guide who was a real character. We had a lot of laughts and a great group of 14 people on the Inca Trail Tour. It was an amazing experience!”
– Mandi Frost, Liesel Fosbrook, Pascale Le Roux, Kathy de Kock
Antigua Honeymoon!
We are so happy we had Sue to help us plan our honeymoon! With trip cancellations, COVID changes, flight changes, we were so glad we had Sue to help us navigate an already stressful situation. With everything we had to plan for our wedding it was great knowing our honeymoon was one thing we didn’t have to worry about because Sue kept us updated every step of the way. She booked everything for us; from flights to excursions. Not only did she book everything she also had surprises for us! Not only did she surprise us with a wedding gift but also had chocolate covered fruit in our room upon our arrival. I have to say, out of all the all inclusive I’ve been to, Cocobay is my favorite! The staff were extremely friendly, resort was beautiful, food was great, and drinks were strong!! Our cottage was nice and homey, our private pool was clean, as well as the resort.
Our honeymoon went above and beyond!
Belize: Jungle Ruins & Beach Family Vacation
“We loved it. Trip of a lifetime for sure. Loved the excursions and how
smoothly it all went. Thank you to Sue for arranging such a great trip”
– Sharon Steingruber
Greece
“I can’t thank you enough for the trip – it was truly amazing!”
– Erica Hong
Croatia: Island Hopping on a Budget
“Loved Croatia! Thanks for keeping this trip within budget, focused on our interests, and being there daily for questions, advise, and last minute bexcursion bookings while we were on the trip”
– George Ettershank
St Lucia: Romantic Tropical Getaway
“Thank you Sue – the trip was wonderful and we enjoyed every moment… Ladera is an unbelievable place… The views cannot be beat and the room with the plunge pool was just incredible. We never left the resort because we were just enjoying it so much… Sandals Le Toc was the best choice of the three Sandals properties so we were very pleased… Overall, we wouldn’t have done anything differently so that is probably the best thing we can say. Thank you for your help and we’ll reach out for our next trip!”
– Reggie McCrary
Greece: Sailing from Mykonos to Santorini on a Budget
“The Greek Isles sailing trip was a spontaneous decision for us but much needed escape from a chaotic college semester. Waking up on a boat to watch a sunrise, feeling the wind during sailing, and seeing rich sunsets in the evening was truly an incredible experience! The Greek Isles are magical “
– Taylor Ettershank and Jeanne Werner
Peru: Amazon Jungle
The Amazon was amazing and the guide Joseph was knowledgable & funny and definitely added to an awesome experience! The Amazon itself as a hug surprise as we saw so much and the location of the lodge allowed us to be right in the jungle. They are very eco conscious too which was so good to see, the area is pristine!
– Mandi Frost, Liesel Fosbrook, Pascale Le Roux , Kathy de Kock
Bike & Barge: Amsterdam to Bruges
This trip was such fun! Very relaxing even though an active vacation. The accommodation and food on the barge was so much better than I expected. The cabins and ensuite bathrooms were spacious and pristine. The vibe on the barge was awesome! Great guests and very friendly crew. Cycling through the Netherlands and Belgium was the best way to see that part of the world and unpacking once on the barge made it easy and very relaxing! Really enjoyed it!!
– Stephen Brown
Italy: Work Trip with Italian Highlights
This was a business trip with very complicated logistics (planes, trains, and car hire) to visit work sites in remote areas within 10 days. Everything was planned to detail and went as planned … my limited time was used very efficiently so I got to see local sights in Sicily, Florence, Pisa, and Venice inbetween the site visits.
– Arthur P.
Australia: Roadtrip Adventure
Our trip to Australia was a trip of a lifetime! Thinking of this trip still brings a smile to my face, It was joyful and fun the entire time. We had two solid weeks of fun, food, excitement and even some relaxation mixed in. We found Australians to be very friendly and pleasant. Everywhere we looked there were beautiful views. Everywhere we went there was excellent food. The fish and chips were outstanding as well as the Indian food and Singapore Street Noodles. My favorite! Getting to see a rock musical at the Sydney Opera House was a tremendous joy and privilege. I already miss Australia and hope that I get to go back. I don’t know why more people don’t use a travel agent. Using her expertise and access to airlines and other travel related services, Sue took our trip to a level we could not have achieved on our own!
– Larry Holbrook
Riviera Maya Mexico: Family Vacation
We’ve been to Mexico 4 times and this time was our favorite! Sue suggested a great resort and we were not disappointed! She made sure that I was able to celebrate my birthday and enjoy a family vacation in a grand way! The Dreams Playa Mujeres is now our favorite Dreams Resort.
– Chenoa & Courtney Pierre and the boys
Belize Jungle: Wildlife & Waterfalls!
Thank you so much for all your help in putting together one of our favorite trips! The caves were spectacular and the Hidden Valley Inn so welcoming. It was such a comfort to know I had back-up in case of any hiccups in traveling internationally with my mom!
– Marie Smith
Florida Keys: Bonding Deep Sea Fishing Trip!
Had an awesome trip! Everything was well planned out and the boys and I had a very memorable time – thank you for your efforts to make that happen for us!
– Andrew Corsaro
Costa Rica Celebration Trip!
By far the best travel agent experience. We wanted to take a big trip with our teenage daughters and each person had a wish for the trip. Sue knew so much about our destination, the excursions, the lodging, everything!
– Sharon S.
